Dark Paradise
by The Dead Masquerade
Summary: Adjusting to life behind the veil isn't an easy feat for Bonnie Bennett. Especially when the one she loves can't be reached, while the one she shouldn't is right within her grasp. Kol x Bonnie x Jeremy
1. Welcome to the Other Side

Bonnie Bennett never truly understood what being alone felt like until her death.

Five days after she put the veil back up and went with her Grams to the Other Side, she began watching over Caroline and Elena to make sure they were okay but it was hard. It was hard being around them when they couldn't even see her.

It was harder than she thought, having to watch Elena and Caroline laugh and talk as if nothing were wrong – even though in their minds, everything was perfect.

Silas had been put down, Klaus allowed Tyler to return (and according to Caroline he was due back any day now) and Elena had Jeremy back while Bonnie was supposedly with her mother trying to cleanse herself of Expression magic.

Everything was perfect for them.

But for Bonnie, it was far from it. She had never felt more alone than she had now.

Yeah, she had her Grams and she could talk to Jeremy but what was the point of still existing if she couldn't even speak to her best friends or even her own father. She hadn't even managed to say goodbye to the single most important person in her life.

And that would be one of her biggest regrets for the rest of her existence. But she just couldn't bring herself to say goodbye to him, to anyone them. She didn't want to do any of the painful goodbyes. She just wanted to get it over with.

Of course she regretted it now.

Being on the other side was a totally different experience than being on earth. Bonnie had heard stories of the other side from other ghosts who had come to the realm of the living when given the chance. They said it was lonely.

At first she was worried she'd be on her own but she soon found out that it was different for witches. Witches could communicate with all the ghosts that inhabited the other side. A lot of vampires, hunters and werewolves stuck close to other witches so they would never be truly alone since they could not communicate with others of their kind.

At least she had it better than the rest of them.

At least she was able to speak to others.

Grams had explained to Bonnie that it had something to do with the fact that witches created the other side. They became somewhat the guardians of the deceased; helping them to find a way to move on or some extreme cases, make their afterlife a living hell for the things they did on earth.

Right now, Bonnie would have been with her Grams, but she was helping another witch adjust to her death after she had been killed not too long before Bonnie. According to Grams, she had been murdered by a vampire after refusing to abide by his ruling.

Grams hadn't wanted to leave Bonnie on her own but the younger witch assured her grandmother that she would be fine. She wished she hadn't done that now. Now, she was stuck watching her two best friends live their lives while she had to wonder alone on the other side for eternity.

Not that she was blaming anyone; her death was an unforeseen consequence of her own actions.

It still sucked though.

"Doing that will only make this all the more painful for you, little witch," a now familiar voice said from behind her. "Believe me, I know. I spent days watching over my family and watching them move on without even a thought of me going through their minds."

"That's not true," Bonnie responded without turning to look at him. "Klaus threatened to kill us all for what happened to you."

"Yes," Kol agreed with a nod of his head. "For a full three days I believe. Once given the chance he went back to obsessing over her," he said and looked at the blonde in question with an icy glare.

He hated her for having all of his brother's attention.

"I didn't think it'd be this hard," she admitted to him. "Watching them move on, not mourning me."

"You told Jeremy not to tell them of your demise so now you deal with it," he shrugged and moved closer to her.

"Is there a reason that you're here annoying me?" she shot at him and finally turned around to face him.

"Unfortunately, I can only talk to and see witches and since you took away my chance of living again I have decided to annoy you for all eternity," he smiled charmingly at her. "You'll never get rid of me now, darling."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at the Original. "Keep in mind that I still have my powers and I can still cause you a world of pain," she warned him with a stern glare and folded her arms over her chest.

"So I probably shouldn't tell you how much I loved what you did to me that day?" he asked referring to the day he died when he tried to attack her at the high school and she fought back. "Very rarely can someone cause me actual pain and when they manage to, I kind of enjoy it."

Bonnie scrunched her nose up and turned away from the Original. "You are disgusting," she called back.

"So please, by all means make good on your threat," he grinned and began to follow her as she walked away from the two best friends.

They couldn't see her anyway so what was the point of sticking around them. Watching them be happy without her was harder than she thought it would be.

"It's about time I had some real entertainment over here."

"I'm starting to see why Klaus stuck you in a box for a century," Bonnie commented as she tried to get away from him but he easily caught up to her. "You are possibly the most annoying creature I've ever had the displeasure of meeting."

Kol smirked. "You should have just left the veil down and then you never would have had to see me again and you wouldn't be here right now, you could be with your annoying little friends doing whatever it is that you do." Kol really was enjoying this. He hadn't had this much fun since he was still living on earth. "But you didn't, so now you are stuck with my annoying self forever."

"Is it possible for a ghost to get a headache because I'm pretty sure I have one right now after listening to you," she whined and ran a hand through her hair. "Surely there are other witches here that you can annoy instead of me?"

"Of course there are," he replied. "I know over a dozen witches here but none of them are the reason I am here."

"The reason you are here is because you got staked, that had nothing to do with me," she retorted.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Fine, none of them are the reason that I am _still _here," he corrected. "We both could have gotten what we wanted that day, Bonnie but oh no, you had to go be that good selfless little witch that you are and deny us of what we both wanted most."

"What I want most right now is peace," she said as she kept walking. She didn't exactly know where she was going but she just wanted to keep moving.

"And what I want most right now is to be alive and terrorising some poor person so -to quote you- sometimes we can't always get what we want," he said back to her.

Bonnie let out a sigh and stopped walking so she could look at him. "I couldn't leave the veil down, there are too many dangerous and vengeful creatures on the other side and I couldn't leave them to unleash hell on earth," she tried to explain to him. "I am sorry for what happened to you, Kol and I see now why you were trying to stop us from waking up Silas and I wish that we listened to you, I really do, but what's done is done and you need to get over it. Maybe then you can move on."

"You think I'm not already over it?" he shot back. "Darling, I had a front row seat to everything Silas put you all through and I enjoyed every second of it. I enjoyed watching Elena loose who she was after her brother got what was coming to him and I enjoyed watching Silas turning you into his little puppet," he took a step closer to her and got in her face. "I enjoyed watching your best friend try to kill you," she could feel his breath fan over her cheek as his voice dropped lower, "and I **loved** watching you nearly kill her."

That was possibly Kol's favourite thing to happen while he was on the other side. He loved that he was able to witness the torment that they brought upon themselves. It almost made his death worthwhile. He could be at peace knowing that they were all suffering.

"You are so messed up," Bonnie gritted out and whacked her fists against his chest to get him to back away from her. "Just stay away from me."

"That is so not going to happen, little witch," he grinned at her annoyance and frustrations. It was so easy to rile the witch up, how could he not keep doing it? "We are going to be spending a lot of time together for the next few centuries, my little Bon-Bon."

"Don't call me that," she nearly growled at him. It was bad enough when Katherine called her Bon-Bon but now Kol too?

Kol smirked at her reaction.

It seems he has found the perfect nickname for her.

xxx

"Whoa," Bonnie breathed in a bit of shock as she felt the rush begin to wear off.

_What just happened?_ She thought to herself as she looked around her surroundings. Whatever it was though was a blessing as it got her away from the psychotic Original who was determined to make her afterlife a living hell. She had just disappeared from him mid-sentence.

Oh how she wished she could have seen his face for that.

Bonnie found something oddly familiar about where she was as she scanned the room. It wasn't until she saw the figure standing only a few feet away that she felt a wide grin crossed her face.

"Jeremy!" she cried out with joy but it soon faded when she tried to hug him only to remember they couldn't feel each other. "Right," she sighed and moved back. "No ghostly human contact."

The look on Jeremy's faced matched her own.

"Seeing as I just appeared here I am assuming that you called me or whatever they call it," she said and tried to put a smile back on her face.

Jeremy nodded. She could also appear to him whenever she wanted to see him. "I just wanted to see you. Make sure you were okay," he replied. The young hunter wanted nothing more than to stroke the soft skin of her cheek like he used to do when they were together. "See how you are adjusting."

Jeremy knew firsthand what it was like over on the other side and it definitely sucked. It was torture being able to see your loved ones but them not being able to see or hear you, to even feel your presence around them.

There were nights over there when he would just scream at Elena to look at him. He hated witnessing what she had become and not being able to do a single damned thing about it.

He would do whatever he could to be there for Bonnie whenever she needed someone. He wouldn't let her feel alone while she was over there. He'd be here for her always.

"I'm doing okay, I guess," she told him and looked around the room that she had guessed he had taken up at the Salvatore house since Elena burnt their house down. "How about you? Everything going okay with being back and alive?" she asked, trying to turn the conversation around. She didn't particularly want to talk about her current predicament.

"Feels a little strange but I'm guessing that's normal given what's happened," he said with a light laugh that Bonnie returned. "Elena and everyone are trying to figure out a cover story to why I'm suddenly alive so I can finally get out of this place for a bit."

So far though, they were not having much luck. It was kind of difficult to explain his sudden liveliness when his remains were found in a burning house.

"I'm sure they will come up with something, they always do," Bonnie smiled.

They had become quite skilled in coming up with excuses to cover up all the strange things that have happened in this town since the re-arrival of the supernatural.

"Jer, I'm back!" they heard Elena's voice call out, announcing her return.

Jeremy silently cursed, not because his sister was home but because he wanted more time alone with Bonnie and now with Elena's vampire hearing, she'd hear him talking to himself. She wasn't supposed to be home for another hour.

"You should go," she said. "Spend more time with her, I know she's missed you," Bonnie smiled. "We can talk later."

"I really wish you would let me tell them what happened to you," his lowered his voice to a whisper so his sister wouldn't hear him. "They should know."

"I know they deserve to know but I'm not ready for them to know yet," she frowned. "Plus they have been through so much they don't need anything to damper their good mood," she tried to replace her frown with a smile.

"Damper their good mood?" Jeremy repeated her words incredulously and tried to keep his voice low so Elena wouldn't hear him. "Bonnie, you're dead! They need to know that; maybe there is something they can do."

"There is nothing anyone can do, what's done is done," she responded quickly. "I will let you tell them eventually, I promise…just not now."

"I don't feel comfortable keeping this from them, Bon," he frowned at her. "It's hard for me to do."

Bonnie sighed, she wanted nothing more than to take his hands in hers but she was unable to. She wouldn't be able to feel his hand in hers and neither would he. "Please, Jer," she pleaded. "I know this is asking a lot from you and I'm sorry but this is just what I need from you right now."

"Just promise me that you will let me tell them sooner rather than later," his expression was serious as he looked over her face, waiting for her to respond.

Bonnie gave him a smile. "Soon, I promise," she swore to him. "Now go be with your sister."

Jeremy so badly wanted to wrap Bonnie up in his arms and kiss her one last time but it just wasn't possible. "I miss you," he confessed and his hand reached out to take hers, not caring that neither could feel the touch. "You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for me."

"I don't regret it Jeremy," she told him truthfully. "I've never seen Elena happier and that is all I want, for you two to have each other because she needs you more than anyone else."

"You're her best friend, she needs you too," he counted. "I need you here."

"I am here with you," she replied and tried squeeze his hand reassuringly.

Not in the way he wanted, though. Jeremy wanted to be able to hug her, kiss her, run his hands through her silky soft hair and go to sleep with her in his arms but he'd never be able to.

"Maybe we can meet somewhere tonight where we won't get interrupted," Jeremy suggested.

"Or seen by the public," she added with an amused smile as she referred to his current situation of being suddenly alive. "This is going to sound really cliché but how about the Bennett family plot," she said.

All the witches in her family had been buried together, not far from the cemetery. No one but Bonnie visited it and it was hidden from the public, it would be perfect for a secret meeting of a ghost that couldn't be seen by anyone but the boy who the public believed to be dead.

"Sounds perfect," he agreed with a light chuckle. "I'll meet you there around ten."

Jeremy gave her a bright smile Bonnie sat down on his bed with a heavy sigh after he left the room when just as Elena call for him again.

"I have never seen anything more depressing in my life," the voice she was beginning to despise said as Kol appeared in front of her. "Darling, just because you're dead doesn't mean you have to act like it!"

"Because I have so much to be happy about right now," Bonnie retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"Neither do I but you don't see me acting like a depressing mope," he responded and sat down next to her. "At least you can actually talk to someone who you care about."

There was nothing Kol wouldn't give to contact his siblings. Sometimes he regretted his decision in spending his time getting his revenge on Elena Gilbert and wished he spent it with his family instead.

He even tried to find Finn when he first arrived here but soon found out that unless you are a witch, you're on your own.

"It's hard when you can't touch them," she commented more to herself than to Kol.

She would love nothing more right now than a hug from Jeremy, just a bit of human contact. Just talking wasn't enough to keep her grounded and sane.

Bonnie nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked him, her eyes moving between his hand on her shoulder and his face.

He rolled his eyes and moved his hand away from her. "Fine then, I won't comfort you."

Bonnie arched a brow at him before replying. "Why would I want comfort from you in the first place?"

"Because you can't get any from your boyfriend," his tone was a little harsher than intended but he wasn't going to take it back. If she couldn't accept that he was trying to be a little nice to her then that was her problem.

"And I know what you mean, it sucks when you want nothing more than to pound their heads against a wall until they bleed from their ears but they can't even feel your hand on their head," Kol shrugged and sat down next to Bonnie.

Bonnie's brow furrowed and she turned her head to look at him. "You are really disturbed, do you know that?"

Kol's eyes met her and he smirked. "You haven't seen the half of it, darling," he winked.

Bonnie let out a heavy sigh. "You really are going to make this a living hell for me, aren't you?"

"What is that they say these days? Payback is a bitch?" he replied with a grin. His tone held no threat or warning, if anything it sounded playful and full of mischief.

Bonnie knew that Kol was definitely going to make things interesting for her over on the Other Side and he clearly had no plans to leave her alone for a long while but whether that be a good thing or a bad thing she was still unsure about.

Who knows what could happen over there?

xxx

**Another story? While I still have to update all my others? You all must hate me so damn much, am I right?**

**Well, I am terribly sorry but this would not leave my head and I needed to get it out.**

**Kennett on the other side, Beremy on the other other side. How could I not? (does the **_**other side **_**need to be capitalised? Just wondering)**

**Now, my first chapters are usually always pretty short but the length will be increased next chapter. I just don't like to add too much to the first one. I like to use them as more of an introduction.**

**I do hope you enjoy it, and yes, updates for other fics are coming. I'm stuck on the next chapter of '**_**Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice,**_**' but once I get through that block I will be throwing out updates once again because I have so many ideas for it and I have about 10 scenes already written down.**

**Any mistakes in this I am sorry for (if you've read any of my other fics you will know that I am a lazy bitch and very rarely edit my work) and pretty please leave a review with your thoughts! I would love to know what you think of my newest fic!**

**And I would also like to dedicate this chapter to **_**katmxsalvatore**_** over on tumblr! And a big thank you to Nia (**_**simplynia**_** here on and **_**beyonceofmysticfalls**_** on tumblr) for taking my average summary and turning it into something awesome!**

**Next chapter we have more Bonnie/Kol interaction along with Bonnie/Jeremy, there will be a lot of these three and next chapter both sides really bond (the Kennett bits are fun to write, so much banter!), Bonnie/Grams and Bonnie begins to struggle with her ghostly state plus more! This does have a storyline which will start to appear around chapter 3!**

**xxx**


	2. Touch

xxx

"There must be something you can do," Bonnie pleaded with her Grams while the older witch wore an amused smile. "He is driving me insane!"

For the last week Bonnie has not had a single moment of peace without that frustratingly annoying Original popping in on her. What was worse was that he was intruding on her moments with Jeremy and since Jeremy has no desire to see Kol and vice versa, Jeremy can't see him.

Bonnie would have told Jeremy that but she knew he'd only worry if he knew she was being haunted by the Original vampire he killed. He would probably think it would have something to do with him and what he did.

"Can't we banish him or something?" she asked and her Grams let out a chuckle.

"You can't banish a ghost while they are on the Other Side, child," she told her and Bonnie let out an annoyed groan.

"So I really am stuck with him?" she pouted.

"For better and for worst, darling," the Original in question said from behind her.

Another groan escaped Bonnie's lips and she spun around to face him. "Go away," she demanded but he only smirked at her.

"Make me," he grinned widely. "Oh wait, you can't."

"This isn't fair," she huffed and turned back around to look at her Grams. "I feel like I'm being punished."

"You're not being punished," her Grams replied and shook her head at the two of them.

"I feel like it," she muttered and folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh, don't pout Bon-Bon," she heard him say and he went to put an arm around her shoulders but she immediately pushed it away from her. "I thought we were having fun together."

"You thought wrong," she glowered at him before she turned back to her grandmother. "I need to get away from him," she said to her Grams.

"You won't get far," he quipped from behind her.

"Can't you keep him here or something?" she asked her Grams.

"No, I can't," Sheila replied to her granddaughter who just pouted in response.

"She probably could," Kol quipped just to annoy the young witch.

Bonnie turned to Kol. "Stay away," she said to him before disappearing in front of their eyes – something she had gotten used to doing now.

Kol ginned mischievously but just before he could follow her, Sheila's hand latched onto Kol's arm before he could leave her sight and when he turned to her she gave him one of her threatening glances. "If you do anything that genuinely upsets or hurts my grandchild, I will make it my personal mission to turn your afterlife into your own personal Hell and for God's sake, give her some peace when she is with Jeremy."

Kol remained silent as she let him go but her threat was not unheard by the Original. He knew full well what Sheila Bennett was capable of and he knew not to piss her off.

It was never his intentions to seek vengeance on Bonnie once the veil went back up, neither was it beforehand. It was just to threaten her into leaving the veil back up so that he may continue on living.

He believed his threats against her school friends had succeeded in getting her help and she had led him to where the spell had taken place, beneath the school. Along the way she had explained to him that it was right in the centre of the Expression Triangle.

Once she led him there, he saw it. Her saw her body lying on the ground.

At first Kol didn't exactly know what to make of it, perhaps it was a trick. She was standing right in front of him after all but then he remembered how he was able to walk around.

It was strange seeing her like that. He almost felt sorry for her. Kol listened as she explained to him that she wanted the same as he did and while he did and even though he sympathised with her he also believed he could take advantage of her fear about her death.

Turns out he was wrong.

Kol was livid when she fooled him and trapped him in that room but deep down he understood her actions. Bonnie lived by her loyalty and selflessness and ultimately they were her downfall but even in death she continued on that way.

But in a way, he secretly admired her for that. Her mission did not change once she died; it remained the same whereas Kol was willing to go against everything he once stood for just to get another chance.

Bonnie knew she would be suffering on the Other Side, but it never stopped her from doing what deep down she knew was right, even at her own expense.

"I hope you aren't going to watch over those boring friends of yours," he said he caught up with her. "They are so dull I can barely stand it."

"No one is forcing you to follow me," she replied after a quick eye roll.

"You go back to them every day and you leave even more depressed," he stated and his hand caught her wrist and made her stop walking. "When you were alive your life sucked. You looked out for everyone but no one looked out for you and look where it has gotten you," he said and motioned around their surroundings. "You are dead, Bonnie, but that doesn't mean you can't still have some fun," he finished and a wicked smirk appeared on him lips.

"I just want to watch over my friends and make sure they are safe," she pulled her wrist from his grip.

"And what are you going to do if they aren't?" he questioned her. "You lived your life by them, Bonnie; don't let them rule your afterlife too."

"I don't want to let go of them," she admitted to him with a small sigh. "They were my life, they were everything to me and I don't know how to live without them."

"You don't have to let go of them," he told her. "Just don't watch over their every move, it will only make things more difficult for you and you will never accept what happened to you and before you say it, I don't believe that you have truly accepted that you are dead."

"What good will accepting my death do?" she shot at him. "I'll still be dead and I'll still be here," she said and waved her hand around.

"You're right, accepting it won't change a thing but it will give you a sense of peace," he said to her. "And believe me; you'll need that feeling eventually."

"I thought ghosts who found peace moved on," Bonnie replied and Kol shook his head.

"Unfortunately, we are stuck here for good, my little witch," he said to her. "But coming to terms with your fate does help to make you feel better."

"How's that?" she questioned him and he just shrugged.

"Don't know, just does."

"How did you come to peace with it?" she asked him curiously.

"I haven't," he grinned down at her.

Bonnie's brown furrowed in confusion at his confession. "Then nothing you are telling me makes any sense. How do you know it'll make me feel better if you don't even know yourself?"

"It made sense to the person who told me," he said with a casual shrug. "She'd been here long enough to know so I'd figured I'd give that advice to you since I wasn't going to use it."

"Who told you?"

His grin got wider and Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him. "Your Grandmother," he told her and her eyes widened.

"My Grams tried to help you?"

"She was waiting for me when I got here," he said. "She scolded me for trying to kill you," he told her with a wink and Bonnie let out a giggle at the thought of her Grams yelling at Kol. "The she told me to move on, find some peace, said it would make me feel better then I never saw her again until you got here."

Bonnie gave a sigh. "Well then, what do you propose I do to make this whole ordeal more bearable?"

He held his hand out for her to take but naturally Bonnie eyed it like it was diseased. She looked up at his with an arched brow.

"You want to hold hands?"

"What? Scared you'll get boy germs?" Kol teased. "Come on, I'm going to take you somewhere. You'll like it, I promise."

"Do I need to hold your hand?"

"Ghosts can appear anywhere they like but so far you can only appear around town. I, however, have learnt how to control it and can go anywhere I please. So come on."

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"Just take it," he said and held his hand out to her again.

"Fine," she gave in and slapped her hand in his.

xxx

Bonnie let go of his hand once they arrived at their destination. "Where are we?" she asked him as she looked around the unfamiliar surroundings.

"New Orleans," he replied. "This is where my family has relocated to – well what's left of my family anyway."

"You're idea of fun is brooding over your family?" she questioned him and followed closely behind him as he walked through the busy streets. "And you called me pathetic."

Kol turned and gave her another of his wicked grins that told her he had something up his sleeve. "I never brood, Bon-Bon. It gives you wrinkles."

"I wish violence upon you whenever you call me that," she grumbled at him. "So what are we doing here?"

"We are going to have some fun," he turned back to her to give her a disarming smile.

"We're not going to spy on your family are we?"

"Of course not," he scrunched his nose up. "I'm not pathetic. I just thought you could use with a bit of a day out and there is no place better than New Orleans."

"You've been here before?" she asked. "And can you slow down? I might be a ghost but these shoes still can hurt," she grumbled and looked down at her feet, beginning to wear the heels but they looked so good with her dress.

"Your fault, not mine. And yes, I used to live here with my family a long time ago - late eighteen hundreds."

He slowed down for her a bit.

"God you're old," Bonnie muttered.

"Rude," Kol chided with a playful glare. "But you got to admit, I look pretty damn good for my age."

"Your psychotic-ness outweighs your hotness," Bonnie quipped but Kol smirked.

"You just admitted that I'm hot," he grinned.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at the Original. Of course that was the only thing he took from that sentence. "Whatever," she mumbled. "Now, what are we doing here?"

Kol gave a dramatic groan. "You don't like not being in control, do you?"

"Not when the one in control is an Original vampire."

"The ghost of an Original vampire," he corrected her.

"Same thing. I don't really see what we can do," she said to him. "I think being dead limits our choices of activities."

"Always the pessimist," he looked down at her. "There are so many things we can do in our ghostly state, Bon."

"One Bon is just as bad as two."

"Usually dying mellows people out, I see you broke that trend."

"You're beginning to get on my nerves," she glared at him.

"Here we are!" he exclaimed as they came to an abrupt stop.

Bonnie looked to what they stopped outside of and she arched a brow at him. "A bar?"

"The greatest bar in the whole Quarter," he told her and took her hand to drag her inside.

"I can't go in, I'm eighteen." She realised how stupid that sounded when Kol stopped and faced her with a look to match how she was feeling.

"Yes, because it is common for ghosts to be asked for identification."

"Okay, fine. I forgot, leave me alone," she muttered.

"If you forgot you were dead then my plans are working," he grinned and took her hand again to pull her further into the bar. "You can thank me later."

"You can't drink so why bother coming here?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Kol pouted and eyed the variety of liquor behind the bar. "I miss it so much."

"So again, what's the point? You're just longing over liquor," she said as Kol moved them up to the bar, hand still in hers and as much as she hated to admit it, she didn't mind the contact. It was something she found herself craving more and more each day. She almost didn't want him to let go.

"And you hanging around your friends is better?"

"Yes, because they do stuff."

"But I get to watch silly humans get intoxicated and do stupid things. Then I laugh at them."

"Your idea of fun is so different from mine," she shook her head at him. "This sounds boring. Can't we go do something that's actually fun?"

"What do you have in mind, my little witch?"

"Well, I've never been here before so you could show me around?" she suggested.

"I can show you my top ten bars," he told her and she rolled her eyes - a regular occurrence with him she found.

"Show me something interesting. Bourbon Street!" Stories of her Grams' time here had made it a place Bonnie had always wanted to see.

Kol smiled as her eyes lit up. "We're on Bourbon Street now," he tightened his grip on her hand and began to walk towards the door. "I'll show you some of my favourite spots."

"I don't want to go to bars, Kol," she whined as they got outside.

The Original let out a chuckle. "I do know other, interesting places you know?"

The two of them walked down the infamous street and Bonnie took in the sights and the people. "I should have come here when I was alive," she said. "It'd be a lot more fun."

"That I agree with," Kol replied.

Bonnie suddenly stopped walking when she felt a pull, a feeling she was slowly growing accustomed to. It was usually when someone was calling to her, in this case Jeremy.

"I think Jeremy wants to see me," she spoke up when Kol turned to look at her.

"Ignore him," Kol replied and tugged her hand gently to keep moving.

"You know I can't. He's struggling with being back. I want to help."

"And you're struggling with being dead and he's not helping with it," he said.

Bonnie frowned at him. "Jeremy is the one keeping me sane right now," she told him. "And I think it's the same for him, too. We need to be there for each other."

Kol shrugged. "Do whatever you want, Bonnie, I can't stop you."

"Rain check on the tour?" she asked, hopeful. She was enjoying herself and she wanted to do this again. This Kol she could tolerate.

He let go of her hand for the first time since they left the bar and she missed the contact instantly but little did she know, Kol did, too.

xxx

Bonnie appeared in the middle of the woods, close to the quarry and in front of Jeremy, who wore a wide grin when he saw her. Bonnie wanted nothing more than to hug Jeremy; it was always the first thing she thought about whenever she saw him.

"Hey," he greeted softly and closed the distance between them. It was the closest they could be to each other without actually touching, not that they could anyway.

"Hey," she smiled back. "You okay?" she asked, noticing

Jeremy shrugged. "It's nothing. Just staying with Damon hasn't exactly been the highlight of my summer."

"I don't understand why you can't go to the Lockwood mansion," she said. "I don't think Tyler or Matt would mind if you crashed there instead of with Damon. In fact, they'd probably prefer it." Both boys had more than enough experience with Damon Salvatore to understand.

"Elena wants me there. She wants to keep an eye on me even though she won't admit it," he replied with a slight eye roll. "I just needed to get out of there for a while. Between them go at it like rabbits and the insults and condescension from Damon, I'm going crazy."

"Sounds pleasant," Bonnie gave him a sympathetic smile. She knew it had to be tough on him. He was never Damon's biggest fan.

"Anyway, I wanted to see you because there were things I wanted to say to you the other night but I didn't because I didn't know how," he started and the both of them sat on the edge of the quarry, their legs dangling over the edge. "And I still don't know but I do know that I want to talk to you about them."

Bonnie looked at him with curious eyes. "What about?"

"About what happened before I left for Denver, about what happened with Anna," he said and Bonnie let out a sigh and looked down at the water below her.

"We don't need to talk about her, Jeremy," she said, really not wanting him to get into this.

What happened with Anna really hurt her and if it weren't for Elena walking in on them, Bonnie wasn't sure if Jeremy would have even told her what happened between the two of them.

"But I do, Bon," he said and tried to get her to look at him. "There was no excuse for what I did but I want to explain to you why I did it."

During that time, Bonnie had spent a lot of time wondering why he did it. She asked herself a million and one questions about it, wondering if it had been something she did. Was she not loving enough? Not fun enough? Was she just a rebound for Anna the whole time?

Bonnie nodded at him, signalling him to keep talking.

"I was in love with Anna," he started and Bonnie couldn't stop the ache in her heart at his words. "And her death was so sudden that I don't think I ever truly got over her so when I got given another chance to see her, I guess I just jumped at it.

"Maybe I was too quick to start a relationship with you, maybe I should have allowed myself time alone to grieve Anna -and Vicki too- but at the same time I don't regret any bit of our relationship," Bonnie's eyes met his and she could see the sincerity in them. "I was so happy when I was with you Bonnie and I didn't realise that until I messed up what we had."

"I wish you didn't leave," she said. "I wish we could have worked all this out back when it happened instead of leaving it for so long." Though she was mostly to blame for that, she refused to acknowledge what had happened.

And Bonnie didn't blame him for leaving, he was compelled to think it was for the best and maybe it was. He came back a different person, a better person. He was more sure of himself and more confident.

"I know," Jeremy looked down at his hands. "I wish I didn't either and I wish I took the opportunity to talk to you back then."

"What's done is done," Bonnie shrugged. "We can't go back. We just make the most of what we have now," she added with a forced smile.

What they had wasn't much but Bonnie felt that she couldn't complain. At least she could still be seen and talk to someone she cared about.

"I just wish you'd let me tell everyone what happened," he sighed and looked back up to her. "They're your friends, Bon, they need to know what happened."

She nodded her head. "I know and I want them to know but for once everything is going so great for them. They are about to go to college, Jer! That's what we've always wanted, to be there together."

"But you're not there and you're not going to be," he said. "And it's not going to be what they want without you there with them. And what do you think is going to happen when the time comes and you don't show up? They're going to figure out something's wrong eventually."

Jeremy didn't mean to be harsh with his words; he just couldn't bear to keep her secret any longer. Bonnie had done so much for all of them and he hated that no one was even missing her because as far as they were concerned she was just fine.

Jeremy turned side on to face her. "Maybe if we tell them, we can all figure out a way to bring you back," he tried to convince her.

She gave him a sad smile. "There isn't a way, Jer, I'm stuck here."

"You've brought me back twice, so why can't we find a way to bring you back?" he placed his hand over hers but neither of them could even feel the contact of his skin over hers. "Why can't you just let us help you for once?"

Bonnie looked down at their hands, wanting nothing more than to feel the warmth of his skin but all she got was cold emptiness, an emptiness that would never be filled.

"You'll need a witch and you won't find one willing to do something like this," she told him. "They won't go against the Spirits and Nature like that, not for a stranger anyway."

"You won't even let us try?"

"There isn't anything you can do. I made the decision, Jer and I don't regret it. My best friend is the happiest I've seen her in a long time and you get to live your life."

"But you don't and that's the part I hate," he said and looked away from her. "I don't want you to think I don't appreciate what you did for me because I do, more than anything."

"I know you do."

"But what's the point of living when the person you love most isn't really there?"

Bonnie's breath hitched in her throat and she felt her chest tightened. In their relationship Jeremy never once said he loved her but then again neither did she – at least not to his face.

"I could give you a list of reasons to live, Jeremy," she said to him. "Elena being one of them. You're all each other have anymore."

Jeremy gave a scoff. "You mean when she's done sticking her tongue down Damon's throat and decides to acknowledge me? I don't have anyone, Bonnie. Tyler's gone, Matt's off with Rebekah, you're not really here. I feel more alone here than I did on the Other Side."

Bonnie frowned. "It's still early, Jer. It's going to take time to readjust to this - for everyone."

That was when Jeremy's phone rang and Bonnie saw Elena's face on the screen when he pulled it out of his pocket. "Her ears must have been burning," he humoured before answering his sister's call.

Bonnie looked over the quarry while Jeremy spoke to Elena, giving him a bit of privacy. It was so peaceful there; the water below them was still save from the occasional ripple from either fish or the wind. It was nice.

"Elena wants me back at the Boarding house," he said as he put his phone back in his pocket. "Something about a cover story and returning to school."

She let out a soft laugh. "You sound thrilled about that."

"On the scale of things, I don't really see where school fits in plus there is the whole dead thing I got to work through. I'm not really sure how people are going to react to that. I imagine they won't be very happy."

Bonnie was glad the spark of humour was back in his eyes. She hated when anyone was down and upset.

"Maybe I'll drop by later and see how you're doing?" Bonnie suggested.

"I'd like that," Jeremy gave her a smile. "I'd probably kill to hug you right now."

"I know the feeling," she replied. "I'd kill for any kind of human contact right about now," she laughed. "Being invisible is emotionally tiring."

"It downright sucks," he agreed and pulled himself to his feet while Bonnie remained seated. She's figure she'd hang around the quarry a little longer and enjoy the peace and quiet.

xxx

Jeremy had only been gone minutes before her peace and quiet was interrupted.

"You okay?" Bonnie heard Kol's voice from behind her before he took a seat next to her on the ledge.

Bonnie just shrugged at him. She didn't really know what she felt right now. "Were you listening?" she asked him. She hadn't noticed if he was around or not during her time with Jeremy.

He shook his head. "Thought you could use some privacy with him," he replied and looked out to the water. "Did he upset you?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, we just spoke about something the both of us had been avoiding for a long time now."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked awkwardly. It wasn't in his nature to be comforting or to bother with people who were upset so he didn't really know how.

She shook her head again, much to Kol's relief. "Not really." Bonnie didn't really want Kol to know about her business with Jeremy. "None of it really matters anymore."

Not when she was dead and he was living. Anything between them would be the impossible. It'd be best for her just to push out any thoughts of her love for Jeremy. It could never be. Not anymore.

"Thank you for today," she gave a weak smile and looked at him for a few moments before turning back to the water. "It actually did help." She just wished it lasted longer, not that she'd say that to him.

"Told you so."

"You're one of those that really do enjoy telling people that aren't you?"

"Yup. I'm always right. People need to listen to me more."

"How on earth am I going to put up with you for the rest of eternity?"

Kol shrugged then gave her a charming smile. "You'll learn to love me. Or tolerate me at the very least." His smile dropped a little. "Don't kill me for this," he said to her with a slight chuckle and his arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Kol was surprised when she leaned further into him and rested her head on his chest.

Bonnie gave a small laugh. "Any other time I would," but right now she just wanted to feel someone's arms around her. She didn't really care that they belonged to a psychopathic Original vampire.

xxx

**Wow the feedback for the first chapter was insane! You're all amazing! Thank you guys so much for all of that! I hope you all love this chapter just as much :) And sorry for the wait, the bad thing about new fics is that I always end up forgetting they are there lol and in case you haven't noticed, I have put my own little spin on the ghost lore.**

**I realise that Kennett outweighed Beremy in this chapter and there is a reason for that which will be addressed either next chapter or the one after. Has something to do with Kol ;) There was a little something that I had Kennett do in this chapter while they were out but I'll save it for next chapter because it will fit better. It's fun and cute!**

**Any mistakes in this chapter I apologise for and please leave a review with your thoughts on this chapter!**

**Next chapter, Bonnie has a major breakdown (I'm crying writing it, okay), Kennett get into more mischief as Kol shows her more of the fun side of being a ghost, someone catches Jeremy while he's chatting with an invisible Bonnie and forces Jeremy to reveal what happened, Bonnie receives an unexpected visit over on the other side plus more!**

**xxx**


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